Chapter 26 · A Memory on the Block

"Don't touch her."

Cael's voice cut through the auction hall, low and rough from the curse. His chain pulled tight across his wrists as he shoved against the iron chair.

The auctioneer smiled from behind the crystal podium. "You don't get to set rules here, Rook. Not with a collar around your throat."

"Take the collar off and see how long your rules last."

"That's not how auctions work."

Lia tried to lift her head. The guard behind her pressed a blade under her jaw, just hard enough to make her stop.

"Cael," she warned.

His eyes snapped to hers. Gold burned through the dark gray. "Stay still."

"I am staying still. Your buyer is the one waving a knife at me."

The blade shifted. A thin line of heat opened beneath her jaw.

Cael's chain groaned.

The auctioneer tapped one finger against the crystal case. "There. That's why you're both worth so much. He wants to tear the room apart, and you can make him stop. A rare combination."

"You dragged us into an illegal memory auction," Lia said. "Try calling it something uglier. It won't make the sentence shorter.